I'm having a hard time right now. Basically, Gordon's follow up skills have been spotty lately, and this has resulted in several "misses" in terms of getting together with him recently. His ability to keep or make plans with me has been nil. He e-mailed today to ask about the poetry reading on dec. 3rd... how long it was going to last. essentially, he's been invited to someone's dinner party, and is trying to figure out if he can do both.

if you've ever been "better-dealed" in a social scenario, you know it doesn't feel good. I was already in a place of annoyance with him, so my reply to his rather interesting attempt at light-hearted dissing and beatific blessing on me by way of statements like "I hope you're doing fantastic," was cold and stilted to say the least.

Let's just say it involved a numbered list and a lot of questions. It's not snide, but it is straight, no chaser. I was like "before we discuss the reading, I have a few questions about some things I haven't heard from you about, such as the following..." I also encouraged him to be true to his preference, because it would stress me out to know he was basically counting the minutes until he could make a hasty exit. I don't need those kinds of favours.

Why do people think they are softening the blow of a kiss-off by saying something like "hope your day is going well," or "take care, and best of luck," after essentially saying "I don't want to buy anything you're selling." Just make your comment, let it stand out there, naked and bald. It's more respectful to the person you're blowing off. It really is.